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Lung Cancer Not on Many Women's Radar: Survey

Lung Cancer Not on Many Women's Radar: Survey

05/13/14

TUESDAY, May 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. women still see
breast cancer as a bigger killer than lung cancer, despite the fact
that lung cancer kills more Americans each year -- women and men --
than any other cancer.

That's one of the findings from a new American Lung Association
(ALA) survey of over 1,000 adult U.S. women.

The poll also found that many women may not appreciate the lung
cancer risk to nonsmokers. And few were aware of just how deadly
lung cancer remains, in a time of major progress against some other
cancers.

According to Alana Burns, vice president of the ALA's Signature
Cause Campaign, the poor survival rate may be one reason that lung
cancer is not on women's radar.

"With breast cancer, there are so many survivors out there telling their stories and advocating," Burns said. "But more than half of women diagnosed with lung cancer are gone within a year. There is no legion of survivors talking about their experiences."

In the United States, breast cancer is the most common cancer
among women, followed by lung cancer. But lung cancer is the top
killer. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, lung cancer kills about 38 out of every 100,000 U.S.
women each year. The death rate from breast cancer is 22 per
100,000.

But when the ALA survey respondents were given a list of cancers
and asked to pick the top killer of women, 51 percent chose breast
cancer. Only 22 percent chose lung cancer.

Plus, he said, since there's routine screening for breast
cancer, women and their doctors are talking about the disease.

But unless you're a smoker, your doctor is probably not going to
bring up lung cancer, noted Mutyala, who reviewed the survey
findings. And while it is possible to screen for lung cancer, he
added, that's limited to certain high-risk groups.

Right now, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends
annual CT scans for adults aged 55 to 80 who currently smoke or who
quit within the past 15 years -- and smoked for at least 30
"pack-years." That means one pack per day for 30 years, or two
packs a day for 15 years, for example.

Smokers are not, however, the only people who get lung cancer.
About 10 percent of people diagnosed with the disease never smoked,
the ALA states.

But half of the women in the new survey said they were "not
concerned" about lung cancer because they'd never smoked. That
included 68 percent of lifelong nonsmokers.

"Many people think of lung cancer as solely a smoker's disease," Burns said.

Yet, she added, if lung cancer in nonsmokers were considered its
own disease, it would rank among the top-10 cancer killers in the
United States.

Burns and Mutyala said people should be aware of the risk
factors for lung cancer in nonsmokers.

The top cause is exposure to radon gas, which can become
concentrated in homes that are built on soil with natural uranium
deposits. Other risk factors include chronic exposure to secondhand
smoke or air pollution, and on-the-job exposure to pollutants such
as diesel exhaust and asbestos. Researchers have also found gene
mutations that play a role in some lung cancers.

The prognosis for people with lung cancer remains grim,
according to the lung association. Less than half of women with the
disease are still alive one year after they're diagnosed -- a
statistic few women in the survey said they'd heard before.

Unfortunately, the cancer is usually diagnosed at a late stage.
"Only about 20 percent of lung cancers are operable when people are
diagnosed," Mutyala said.

To help improve that outlook, the ALA wants the U.S. National
Institutes of Health to boost its funding for lung cancer research
-- from the current level of $213 million per year, to $400 million
by 2025. By comparison, current funding for breast cancer research
tops $650 million a year, according to estimates from the U.S.
National Institutes of Health.

"That's despite the fact that lung cancer kills more people than breast, prostate and colon cancers combined," Mutyala said.

Burns said women can help by getting involved in efforts to
raise awareness and funds. The ALA just launched a new website,
dubbed Lung Force (lungforce.org), where people can find
information on local charity events, share stories about their
experiences with lung cancer, and get information on the
disease.

"We want people to learn about the risks," Burns said. "This is something that's relevant to you. You should care."

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.